1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of firearm supports.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a stand for gripping the front and rear ends of a firearm such as a shotgun, rifle, or pistol.
In a further and more specific aspect, the present invention concerns an adjustable stand comprising a front clamp for holding the barrel of a gun and a pair of rear clamps, one of which is used to hold the stock if the gun is a rifle or shotgun, and the other of which is used to hold the grip if the gun is a pistol.
2. Prior Art
Various types of stands and racks or trays are available for supporting firearms while they are being assembled or disassembled, cleaned, repaired, displayed, or the like. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,530 to Ponder, U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,278 to Pachmayr, U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,265 to Wernimont, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,613 to Anderson, Jr.
Each of the above devices is tailored for use with a specific type of gun. The device disclosed by Anderson, Jr., for instance, comprises a pair of fixed end members, one of which is provided with a relatively shallow notch for receiving the barrel of a rifle and the other of which is provided with a deeper notch for receiving the stock of the rifle. Because the depth and width of each notch and the distance between the end members is fixed, only rifles of a particular length, barrel diameter and stock size can be accommodated.
The device disclosed by Wernimont comprises a single saddle member for supporting the fore-end of a gun stock. The saddle member is made up of two arms, the distance between which can be adjusted to accommodate stocks of differing widths. While the adjustable saddle makes the device of Wernimont somewhat more versatile than that of Anderson, Jr., it is still limited to use with guns having relatively elongated stocks, and is not suitable for supporting shorter firearms such as pistols.
The devices disclosed by Ponder and Pachmayr, on the other hand, are trays for supporting pistols. Each of these trays includes a flat base member having an upstanding clamping member or bracket formed at one end. The barrel of the pistol is supported by the clamping member, while the bottom of the pistol's grip rests directly on the flat base member. Neither tray is suitable for supporting an elongated firearm such as a rifle or shotgun.
The single-purpose design of each of the above supports creates a problem for the serious gun collector or hunter who may own a variety of firearms of different sizes and configurations. Such an individual would have to purchase at least two types of supports--one for rifles and shotguns, and one for pistols. This can be rather expensive and inefficient.
Another shortcoming of some of the above gun stands and other types of supports available in the marketplace is their relative lack of security. Many gun stands are designed for display purposes only, and thus do not grip the guns as tightly as desired when the gun is being cleaned o repaired. A tight grip is essential to prevent the gun from shaking or dropping while being worked on.
Still another shortcoming of prior art devices is their complexity. Many such devices are manufactured from a large number of moving parts, making them costly and difficult to assemble and use. In addition, the devices are often heavy and unwieldy, making them difficult to carry to the field or shooting range.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved stand for holding a firearm.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a firearm holder with means for gripping either the stock of an elongated firearm, such as a rifle or shotgun, or the grip of a shorter firearm, such as a pistol.
Still another objeCt of the invention is to provide a firearm holder with a front end clamp having a plurality of notches for accommodating guns having various different barrel configurations.
And another object of the invention is the provision of a firearm holder which securely grips both ends of a gun in a right-side-up position to allow cleaning, repair, bore sighting, scope mounting, and the like with minimal vibration or slippage.
Yet another object of the InventIon Is to provide a firearm support which will not damage or scratch the surface of the gun.
Yet still another object of the present invention is the provision of a relatively lightweight firearm support which is easy to transport and store.
And still another object of the invention is to provide a firearm support, according to the foregoing, which is relatively inexpensive to manufaCture and comparatively simple and easy to use.